Mrs. Bella Macrae was born 82 years ago in Lonemore, Gairloch. She was the oldest of four children and lived with her parents who were crofters. She started work at the age of fifteen in the post office situated opposite the Old Inn. She is proud of her achievement in learning morse code in order to interpret the telegraphs. Married when she was twenty-six and, as was the custom then, she had to leave her work. Bella has lived in Gairloch all her life, she feels that incomers have added a good deal to the village, but her major wish for the Millennium would be for the return of the community spirit which existed in the village.